What are the 5 Types of Animation?

What is Animation And What are The 5 Types of Animation

Simply put, animation is the technique that creates an Illustration of movement in non-living lines and forms. The illusion of movement is created by a method of photographing successive drawings, models, or even puppets. There are various types of animation, and in traditional animation, hand-painted drawings are used, and early cartoons are a great example. However, these have been replaced by CGIs (computer-generated images). As it is an effective and quicker way to communicate ideas, animation has gained its share of popularity across various fields. Education, advertisements, gaming, scientific visualization, entertainment, creative arts, and simulations are a few major fields that employ animation techniques. With time animation has evolved, and now there are 5 different types of animation widely used across the globe by animators. Each of these types is unique and serves different purposes. The end product’s tone, look and feel varies depending on type of animation you choose.


Let’s take a look at the 5 types of animation:

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Hand-drawn Animation :


Among all different types of animation styles, hand-drawn animation, also known as traditional animation or Celanimation, is one of the oldest forms of animation, going as far back as 1650. Originally, as the name suggests, in hand-drawn animation process, each frame was hand drawn to create an animated sequence and then transferred onto transparent paper called Cels. The 1930s was a boom time for the technique, with Disney Studios being the forerunner in the field. To name a few, classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, and The Lion King were created using this traditional hand-drawn method.


3D Animation :


CGI animation is commonly known as 3D animation. CGI stands for Computer Generated Images. This technique generates static as well as dynamic images using computer graphics. For making 3D animation, images are digitally created on screen and then fitted with a skeleton, allowing for the model’s movement. With the help of software that has advanced motion capture, the animator creates realistic scenes and objects.


Apart from the entertainment industry, 3D animation is rampantly used in fields like medicine, architecture, and interior design. For a person adept at handling 3D animation techniques, there is a host of opportunities out there.


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Vector-based Animation :


Generally, images or motion in animation are controlled by pixels. In 2D, the animation is controlled by vectors, characterized by pathways defined by a start and end point. These pathways can be used to create the simplest of shapes, like a square or a circle and create complex diagrams. The technique permits the creation of rigs for the image that further allow movement of just a particular portion. This does away with the need to draw the image repeatedly. Images created using vector graphics are highly scalable and can be resized without compromising picture quality.


The vector-style animation is used to create attractive content for education, editorials, advertising, and the web. 


Stop Motion Animation :


Stop Motion is much like traditional animation, the only difference being that they involve manipulating physical objects instead of drawings. The objects are moved slightly in every frame and then photographed. When the frames are moved in a series, they create an illusion of movement like in a flip book. And there are various types of stop motion animation used by the animators. Which can be further classified as:


Claymation- moving objects made of clay

Puppets animation: moving puppets

Cutout motion: moving characters built out of paper cutouts.

Silhouettes animation: creating shadows and then moving them

Pixelation: moving people and

Object-motion: animating objects.

This is an organic type of animation involves a very tedious process. Stop Motion is mostly used in the entertainment and educational fields.


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Motion Graphics Animation :


Motion graphics are animation with a difference. While other forms of animation revolve around figures and their motion, motion graphics animation techniques revolve around text and basic illustrations. Film opening titles, animated logos, app commercials, explainer videos, and other multimedia projects often use motion graphics.  Motion Graphics creates images or texts by tweening the key frames to ensure a smooth motion between frames. This technique uses particle systems to craft various effects.  A motion graphics animator needs to have a good sense of composition and camera motion.  When combined with music, voice-overs, or other animated objects, these videos effectively drive home the point.


Employing the different types of animationadd value to commercials or videos and makes them interesting. Animations are used extensively in almost everyindustry. Demand for animation and animators is on the rise. While creativity could be your passion, formal training can bring to life that passion.


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Written by: Chandan Sirish

Last updated: 26-02-2024

Chandan has 14 years of experience in the field of Animation & VFX with an MBA in Education Administration from Symbiosis and a B.Sc. in Animation from Bharathidasan University. He has worked as a Rigging Artist, 3D Generalist and Academic Head with Cavalier Animation, Creo Valley School of Film, Aavishkaran Academy and Garden City University.

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